Neal B Simpson
Reporter, writer, observer.
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Fact Sheet
Neal B Simpson
www.nealbsimpson.com • @nealbsimpson
Award-winning reporter pursuing the next evolution in journalism while keeping a foundation in old-school reporting and an eye toward social media and new platforms for research and dissemination.
Experience
The Patriot Ledger – General Assignment Reporter
Quincy, Mass. May 2011 - Present
- Aggressively pursues news stories in several South Shore communities, writing several articles daily on a diverse range of topics, including transportation, crime and the courts, municipal and state government, politics, social issues and education. Plans for long-term research projects while being ready to respond to breaking news at any moment.
- Shoots video while on assignment, updates website regularly and promotes content on Twitter.
Patch.com – Local Editor
Brookline, Mass.
April 2010 - May 2011
- Launched a little-known web product in a hyper-competitive news market and drew more than 10,000 monthly unique visitors within three months.
- Operated a one-man, round-the-clock newsroom, going toe-to-toe with a long-established competitor while providing the most accurate, thoroughly reported and timely news available in Brookline. Leveraged reputation in the community and familiarity with the town to develop stories overlooked by the competition while continuing to cover municipal government, crime, courts and schools.
- Managed a team of nearly two dozen freelance writers, photographers, columnists and part-time editors to maximize news coverage, produce diverse lifestyle content and maintain the best event listings available. Wrote or assigned more than 30 pieces of content each week.
- Mentored peers on content management system; developed productivity tools to better manage time and resources.
Brookline TAB - Editor, Assistant Editor, Reporter
Needham, Mass.
May 2007 - April 2010
- Helped transition a traditional weekly community newspaper toward a round-the-clock online news format, taking on the new responsibilities of digital and multimedia journalism while compensating for a substantial reduction in staff support.
- Developed timely, probing stories on lifestyle trends, municipal government, public safety, health and education. Filed immediate and accurate breaking-news stories with relevant photos, video and multimedia.
- Maintained a fresh, relevant news website with daily article updates, breaking news, multimedia and engaging blog posts. Promoted content with social networking tools, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
- Fostered a loyal, engaged blog following through regular news updates, polls, commentary, multimedia projects and links to related content. Built relationships with other community bloggers to grow and broaden blog traffic.
- Shot and edited online video projects to accompany online articles. Supplemented reporting with interactive maps and graphics.
The Daily Free Press - Editor-in-Chief, Editorial Page Editor, Reporter
Boston University, Boston, Mass.
Oct. 2003 - Dec. 2006
- Directed a newsroom of more than 50 editors, photographers and writers in the daily production of a 12,000-circulation independent student newspaper. Coordinated editorial and news-gathering activities of senior staff.
- Conducted daily editorial budgets, copy-edited news and feature content and paginated art and copy while coordinating work of printing and web-maintenance staff. Mentored younger editors and guided development of junior staff.
- Researched and wrote well over 100 daily editorials, news articles and feature stories over three years on staff.
Education
Boston University - College of Communication Boston, Mass.
Bachelor of Science in Journalism, Concentration in Print Journalism
Graduation: May 2007
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Posts
- May 23, 1317th-century fort house in Hingham to be trucked across town
The Patriot Ledger
... first Museum Day, an event meant to highlight the town's historical attractions. Tours and activities will be held at five other museums and historical sites as well. Contact Neal Simpson at nesimpson@ledger.com or follow him on Twitter ...
and more » - May 20, 13For some Hull residents, development push recalls condo boom of 1980s
The Patriot Ledger
On a rainy day, people are not going to come here to go shopping.” Contact Neal Simpson at nesimpson@ledger.com or follow him on Twitter @NSimpson_Ledger. READ MORE about this issue. Paul Connick still remembers the day in 1986 when he drove ... - May 21, 13Grand jury indicts five accused of kidnapping, beating Hanover woman
The Patriot Ledger
Contact Neal Simpson at nesimpson@ledger.com or follow him on Twitter @NSimpson_Ledger. READ MORE about crime in Rockland. A grand jury has handed up indictments against five men that police say kidnapped, threatened and beat a 31-year-old ... - May 21, 13Hanover could leave selectman seat empty in bid to save money
The Patriot Ledger
Hanover could leave selectman seat empty in bid to save money. Events Calendar. By Neal Simpson. The Patriot Ledger. Posted May 21, 2013 @ 02:35 AM. Print Comment. Related Stories. Hanover selectmen seek to roll back town manager's authority ... - May 21, 13Cops: Weymouth car prowler caught breaking into cars in Hingham
The Patriot Ledger
... on Fearing Road, Partridge Drive and Cushing Street – all of them involving unlocked vehicles – were reported Monday. Contact Neal Simpson at nesimpson@ledger.com or follow him on Twitter @NSimpson_Ledger. READ MORE about crime in Hingham. - May 21, 13Norwell fielding calls about medical marijuana dispensaries
The Patriot Ledger
Contact Neal Simpson at nesimpson@ ledger.com or follow him on Twitter @NSimpson_Ledger. READ MORE about this issue. Norwell's town planner said he has received several calls from people interested in opening a medical marijuana dispensary in ...
and more » - May 15, 13Norwell will build bridge to reconnect Jacobs Pond island to shoreline
The Patriot Ledger
Contact Neal Simpson at nesimpson@ledger.com or follow him on Twitter @NSimpson_Ledger. READ MORE about this issue. More than a decade after it was cut off from the shoreline, a small island in Jacobs Pond is about to see regular visitors once again.
and more » - May 14, 13Farmers' market coming to Norwell this summer
The Patriot Ledger
Jacobs said the science center's building and walking trails will be open during the market, which is scheduled to run from noon to 4 p.m. Sundays until Oct. 13. Contact Neal Simpson at nesimpson@ledger.com or follow him on Twitter @NSimpson_Ledger. - May 10, 13Hanover man accused of stockpiling explosives released
The Patriot Ledger
By Neal Simpson. The Patriot Ledger. Posted May 10, 2013 @ 05:42 AM. Last update May 10, 2013 @ 07:24 AM. Print Comment. Business News. Tumblr Yahoos! Old Dog, New Blog · Should Powerball Winner Take Lump-sum Payment or Annuitize?
and more » - May 12, 13Incumbent ousted as Cohasset voters elect selectmen candidates promising ...
The Patriot Ledger
Since then, he has received several interim contracts. Saturday's election drew 1,740 voters, a turnout of just under 30 percent of the town's registered voters. Contact Neal Simpson at nesimpson@ledger.com or follow him on Twitter @NSimpson_Ledger.
and more »
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Posts
HINGHAM — Who is Wanpen Florentine?
Hingham police says she’s a 62-year old woman who has used at least six aliases over the years to obtain three state IDs, apply successfully for a restaurant liquor license and register to vote under two different names in town.
Hingham building inspectors, who know her as Penny Collins, say she’s a landlord who built four illegal apartments in a lavish $1.9 million Hingham home and rented the rooms out online for as little as $85 a night.
Officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Social Security Administration and the FBI are interested in her identity as well.
Read more: http://www.patriotledger.com/news/cops_and_courts/x587878701/Hingham-woman-had-many-aliases-police-say#ixzz2BBbzIGVj
NORWELL — From tamper-proof paper to a statewide electronic monitoring system, Massachusetts officials have put up a slew of measures meant to keep addicts and dealers from faking prescriptions and getting their hands on potent painkillers and other controlled substances.
But those measures were not able to stop a Norwell man who, according to court documents, printed fake prescriptions for oxycodone and distributed them to a wide network of drug runners. In a coordinated cross-county effort last Tuesday, police officers fanned out across the South Shore and rounded up at least 63 people who they say were involved in the alleged ring.
The man identified in court documents as the group’s ringleader, Eric M. Simmons, 51, allegedly managed to pull off the scheme despite a number of measures meant to prevent prescription fraud and ensnare those who attempt it. Law enforcement officials only learned about the alleged operation after confidential informants tipped off investigators.
In the wake of the arrests, state officials say they’re already at work strengthening prescription security measures.
Read more: http://www.patriotledger.com/topstories/x2127211442/Prescription-drug-security-ailing-in-Massachusetts#ixzz23LM4YATn
NORWELL — The scene described by police was alarming: A mother, dressed in only a T-shirt and smelling of beer, driving drunk with her 4-month-old child in the backseat, wearing a urine-stained body suit and no diaper.
A year after her arrest, 38-year-old Gayle Drummond of Norwell pleaded guilty to third-offense drunken driving and to a new charge created under Melanie’s Law in 2005: child endangerment while driving drunk. Her jail sentences added up to five years, but Judge Beverly Cannone suspended all but six months until 2017.
The sentence makes Drummond one of a relatively small number of people who have served any jail time under the law, which was meant to increase the penalty for drunken drivers who have a child in the car.
A state Sentencing Commission report shows that 22 of 108 defendants from 2007 to 2010 received jail time under the law. The average jail time was less than three months. The survey only looked at drunken driving cases where the child endangerment charge would potentially carry the longest sentence.
Read more: http://www.patriotledger.com/topstories/x1911641445/Few-caught-driving-drunk-with-kids-in-car-serve-jail-time#ixzz23L5lnqM9
QUINCY — In a dark locker room in Quincy, Mass., Doug “The Thug” Smith patiently laces and re-laces his skates for 20 minutes as a Canadian TV crew trains a camera on his feet from one angle after another.
Later, when one of the producers instructs him to look more “intimidating” as he leans forward, Smith finally balks.
“I’m not intimidating,” the Hanson, Mass., police officer and longtime hockey coach protested. “This isn’t Hollywood.”
Smith, a 47-year-old Halifax, Mass., resident who made a name for himself as a brutal “enforcer” in minor league hockey in the 1980s and 1990s, is experiencing renewed celebrity these days as the inspiration for a new feature film called “Goon,” available now via On Demand and in theaters March 30.
Read more: http://www.patriotledger.com/archive/x1644227341/In-Goon-police-officer-s-days-as-a-hockey-enforcer-come-to-life#ixzz2BBcdxUbw
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Tweets
- The baby took the HOV lane, natch MT @FHanson_ledger Baby arrives while parents stuck in traffic on Rt 3 in Braintree http://t.co/ZUeEe0YYmD
- #Norwell fielding calls from groups looking to open medical pot shops http://t.co/gIF3kKX53O but no apps 2 weeks after voters approved regs
- RT @BraintreePolice: **ALERT CANCELLED** Vehicle stopped in Windsor CT. Suspect in custody. Kids are safe. Thanks to everyone for their he…
- Man sought for parental kidnapping of his two children from Braintree home http://t.co/6VSAy7K621
- For some Hull residents, new development push recalls condo boom of 1980s http://t.co/LUsex5C8Kc Officials say they're seeking "third way"
- How about new-journalism portmanteaus that make reporters cringe? RT @deehan You guys have any ideas for more @MassterList Listicles?
- Best low-budget press kit goes to: http://t.co/okocLsJ8DL
- A damn good lede, but the price you have to pay for it to work is pretty high: http://t.co/WPFdMOhvbb
- That's silly. Everyone knows you use bearcats. @katpowers No, we don't have a #RedCross helicopter (I think) #IGetQuestions
- Congratulations, Quincy, you're a trendsetter RT @trendsboston 'pickles' is now trending in #Boston http://t.co/GL4h8Bzsv7
- Cops: Quincy woman punched sandwich maker over “too many pickles” http://t.co/EqBAxFA6H4 Yeah, pickles.
- @Katemplourd im in yur house drinkin yur beerz
- Turns out the @Marshfield_PD chief is a pretty damn good writer http://t.co/MBq1w1RI9K Very honest telling of his job delivering bad news
- Judge releases Hanover man accused of stockpiling 230+ explosives http://t.co/JAOoUHvxIy Friends, family applauded when he left courtroom
- Considering a boycott on businesses that market "Boston Strong" pizza or burgers rather than making an earnest donation to victims funds.
- Consultant finds "culture of frustration, alienation" in #Hanover schools http://t.co/1duWqHhwRT Officials say situation already improved
- RT @burrowsreporter I am pretty sure everyone in the area heard it. I live in Pembroke and my house shook.
- Just talked to Hanson man who heard boom from detonation of explosives seized in Norwell http://t.co/ngmEvZcHQ6 Was ~5 miles from blast site
- #Norwell voters OK rules for medical pot shops, making town among first to allow them http://t.co/SVaeLASMLX Over-under for 1st application?
